For those of us who have ever carted our kids off to a petting zoo or a farm show, one of the highlights has got to be the little 6-week old piggies. “Can we take one home?” the child will inevitably ask. You look at your spouse, then your eyes turn to this 500-pound piggy, rolling around in the mud and you both think “not in a billion years.” But you respond kindly to the young’un, “Oh, we wish we could. Hey look over there at the baby chicks.”
Another bullet dodged as the kid runs over to the small birds. Thank god the little one has a short attention span.
Don’t Be a Pig
You’re going to need a box ‘o stuff that you’ll probably be putting in the trunk of your car after the movers have left. Collect these materials. They’re not just for cleaning up the place; these are things you’ll need until you settle into the new home:
- Bottled water
- Toilet tissue
- Paper towels (like an 8-pack)
- Cleaning cloths
- Shampoo
- Body soap
- Hand soap
- Deodorant
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrushes
- Hair brushes
- Some disposable razors
- A first aid kit
- A bag of fruit
- Some healthy snack foods
- Soft drinks
- Sealable baggies (pint, quart and gallon sizes)
- Laundry detergent
- Bleach
- Dishwashing detergent
- A few rolls of wide masking tape
- A few rolls of duct tape
- 3 black thick magic markers
- A couple of ballpoint pens
- Scissors
- Two boxes of facial tissues
- Two old toothbrushes
- 20-gallon trash bags. A box of 50 (at least)
- Cabinet liner
- Scrubbing brush
- Sponges
- A pack of Scotch pads
- Rubber gloves
- A broom and a dustpan
- Mop
- Water bucket
- Vacuum cleaner
- Bathroom cleaner
- Dust cleaner
- Carpet cleaner
- Deodorized carpet powder
- Glass cleaner
- Tile floor cleaner
Put all the materials in a couple of boxes, with “Do not move” written in a very obvious place on the containers.
SOP (Stomp Out Pigginess)
Whether you’re selling or renting, you want to leave behind a good impression. Especially if the place you’re moving from is a leased property. Leave it looking like the little piggies and you’ll probably lose your security deposit or end-up in Small Claims Court. When sprucing up:
- Pick a room and stay there, scrubbing away until it’s completely clean. Don’t be ditsy, doing a little here-and-there from room-to-room. Focus on one space at a time.
- Start at the top and work your way to the bottom. Forget the toilet, sinks and floors right now. Those are the things you finish as you’re walking-out the door.
- Remember, carpets need your attention regarding stains. You really need to make them spotless. Sprinkle a liberal amount of that deodorized carpet powder around. Let it sit for 10-minutes before sucking things up with the vacuum.
- Once that’s done, now you can dust. Makes sense, right?
- Hit the toilet and sinks last.
On our blog, there’s another article called “After the Move – Unpacking: A Practical Guide.” Take a look at it. The piece will give you some insight as to what you’ll do when you and the three little pigs get to the new house.